Your little one has turned one. It is time to celebrate this important milestone by throwing a birthday party. The party needs to be memorable to you and interesting for the guests. By guests we mean those of all ages – toddlers, older children, and grown-ups.

So, how do you make the party a real fun for everyone? Make your guests play some games! This MomJunction post on 1st birthday party games will help you make your baby’s birthday a total success. Let’s begin with the games for toddlers and babies.

1st Birthday games for toddlers (and babies)

1. Bubble smash

Toddlers can never get bored of running behind bubbles.

Image: iStock

You will need: Bubble-pumping machine, plastic cups, bubble liquid

How to play:

Give each toddler a plastic cup

Demonstrate how to chase and catch a bubble

Switch on the bubble-pumping machine and before you can say “go” you will find kids chasing the bubbles

If you do not have a bubble-pumping machine, then ask the older kids to blow bubbles for the younger ones

12. Start and stop

This is an excellent game of coordination and teaches kids about traffic rules.

Image: iStock

You will need: Cardboard, white papers, red and green markers

How to play:

Cut out the cardboard in two circles similar to traffic signals.

Paste white paper on each cardboard; paint one in red and the other in green.

Mark the start and stop lines.

Divide the kids into two groups and ask them to stand in two separate lines.

A parent volunteer must hold the red and green cards and instruct the kids that when the green light is shown, they must move forward making train sounds, and when the red light is shown, they must stay where they are without making any noise.

If the kids make any noise or move during the red light, that team goes back to the starting line.

The team that reaches the finish line first wins.

13. Toss the ball

This classic game never gets old.

Image: iStock

You will need: A flower pot or any similar plastic container, plastic balls

How to play:

Place the flower pot at a distance and mark the standing point.

Give each kid a plastic ball and ask them to toss it into the flower pot, standing behind the mark.

Give each kid five turns and note who puts in the ball the maximum times.

14. Catching the bugs

Replicate the bug-catching game within the comfort of your house.

Image: iStock

You will need: Craft bugs or plastic toy bugs, a chair or a stool

How to play:

The adult volunteer must stand on the chair with all the toy bugs in their hands.

Ask all the kids to stand around the volunteer.

The adult must toss the bugs so that they get scattered a few meters away.

The kids can either catch the flying bugs or collect them later.

The kid who collects the most bugs wins.

15. Get your treasure

This is yet another interesting first birthday party game.

Image: iStock

You will need: Wooden plank, a baby pool filled with water, small wooden blocks, paper, small gift items.

How to play:

Nail the wooden plank on the top of the small wooden blocks so that it is elevated a few inches from the ground.

Balance the plank on the baby pool filled with water.

Write the words “get your treasure” and “walk the plank”.

Roll the papers and ask each kid to pick one paper at a time.

If the kid gets, “get your treasure” then hand them a gift; if they get “walk the plank,” then make them walk the plank.

To make sure each kid gets the chance to win a gift, eliminate those kids who have got gifts.

Make it more fun by asking the kids to walk backward, walk with one leg, etc.

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